Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Chapter 20 - Chasing Cars
Author's Note: Thank you all for all the feedback. I've stressed this enough as it is, but I really appreciate each and every one of you. :)
3rd Person POV
"And when she wraps her hand around my finger, oh it puts a smile in my heart. Everything becomes a little clearer, I realize what life is all about. It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough, it's givin' more when you feel like givin' up, I've seen the light, in my daught-" Click.Mason quickly changed the radio station.
"Fathers be good to your daughters, daughters will love like you do-" Click.
"-wish I could hold your hand in this great big world, oh little baby girl-" Click.
"-and his heart belongs to that sweet little, beautiful, perfect, all-american gir-" Click.
"I'm five years old, it's-" Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
"And I was like baby, baby, baby ohhh," Mason raised an eyebrow and quickly turned off the radio. He let out a sigh and looked out the window as he pulled into the apartment complex. He parked the car in the driveway and started towards the front porch. Alex was sitting gloomily on the steps, blowing air into a rubber glove.
"Hi, love," he called out as he approached.
She waved the inflated glove in the air. "Hey," she replied in a flat tone with a small smirk. He sat down beside her as she released the glove; her eyes followed it around the yard.
"Have you been alone all day?" he asked.
She shook her head and fixed her bangs. "Harper left about an hour ago. Max and Hailey came with her, but they left earlier." she shrugged. "My aura's probably bringing 'em down."
"Max really seems to like this girl, doesn't he?" he chuckled.
"Yeah," she laughed, "six months is a long time in his world. I think she's the longest thing he's ever committed to." she paused, then laughed again. "besides a cell phone plan."
They sat in silence for a minute. Alex reached for another glove in the box beside her. Mason raised an eyebrow at the other dozen scattered around the yard.
"Bored much?" he asked.
"Yeah, kinda," she sighed. She blew air into the glove until it popped, which made her jump. "Without Leah here the house is so quiet. It's depressing."
"You know what you need?" He didn't wait for her to reply. "A popcicle. Cherry. On me." He dashed into the house and stopped in his tracks. "What happened in here?"
"What do you mean?" she asked with a quizzical glance.
"The living room! It's spottless!"
"Funny, Harper said the same thing. So is the kitchen and the bathroom."
"Um, you did this, love?"
"Yeah," Alex sighed. She loosened her grip on her glove instead of letting it go, causing the air to blow back in her unexpected face, not seeing that coming. Mason smirked at her as he sat down, offering her a cherry popcicle.
He took a lick of his own. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her.
Alex took a chomp out of hers, enjoying the random burst of cold rather than getting a brain freeze like a normal person.
"What do you think I'm thinking about?" she asked him.
"I think you're thinking about the same thing I'm thinking about."
She twirled her finger around in the air. "Ding ding ding, I think we have a winner."
He wrapped his arm around her waist. "I think you don't need to worry as much as you are."
She took another bite. "I can't help it! I'm a mom: worrying is my job!"
"Well I'm a dad. You think I'm not worried?"
"Well duh, but you're so cool and collective about it!" she gave him a look of desperation. "How do you do it, Mason?"
He smiled. "Moms worry about things, but dads just know things."
She cocked her head slightly. "Can you say that in English? I don't speak fortune cookie."
"Well, for example," he smiled, "I know that the sun will come up tomorrow, I know that the stars will shine tonight, I know that you will always be my Alex," She smiled at the sound of that and rested her head on his shoulder. "And I know that our baby is doing just fine."
"I hope you're right," she sighed. She wiped a single tear from her cheek. "If this is how I act when it's only been a day and a half, Wednesday is too far away."
He kissed the top of her head. "It'll be soon, love, it'll be soon."
She turned to face him. "Am I a bad mom?"
Mason's eyes widened. "Why on Earth would you ask that?"
She sat up. "A bad mom move is walking out of Wal-Mart and accidentally leaving your kid in the toy isle. But I had to go and get ours sent to some wacky nutjob center where she knows no one. She's probably scared to death!" She rested her chin in her hands. "I'm a terrible mom."
Mason folded his arms over his chest. "Alexandra Graybeck, that is the biggest lie I have ever heard you tell. You're a wonderful mother! Our daughter is the happiest kid in the world," He took her hand, "And I'm the luckiest guy in the world."
"Really?" Alex smiled.
"Really." He smiled. "Besides, Leah's tough like you; she'll be fine."
Alex looked down at their intertwined fingers. She couldn't help but smile up at him.
"Have I ever told you that you have the most beautiful brown eyes in the entire world?" he asked with a smile.
"Only a million times." She grinned.
"And that every time I look into them, I still wonder how I ended up with someone as amazing as you?"
She blushed. "We're like penguins," she smiled.
"Huh?" he asked in confusion.
"Well, its said that when a penguin finds its mate, they stay together for the rest of they're lives. Its like fate."
Mason chuckled. "True love amongst weird flightless birds. I like that; it sounds like us."
"Ain't that the truth," she laughed.
"I love you," he said sweetly.
"I love you too," she replied, gaising into his eyes.
She chuckled. "C'mere you big nerd," she smiled. She cupped his chin in her hand and gently pressed her lips against his.
Mommy, Mommy, she heard a voice call. She pulled away in alarm and looked behind her. Nothing was there.
"What is it, love?" He asked concerningly. Alex hugged her knees; heart dropping.
"Great. Now I'm hearing things." She laid her head in his lap, holding back tears. They say moms can hear they're children's voice if it's calling them from miles away. Alex knew for a fact that she heard Leah's voice.
Ooh, suspenceful(;
sorry this chapter was so short, but I'm already working on the next one:)
thank you for reading. It really does mean a lot :)